Rotating valve for internal combustion engines



Fen-24, 1959 T we cARzjv, JR. 2,874,686

'ROTATINGVALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 4,- 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I Feb. 24, 1959 Y w. G; CAREY,'JR 2,874,686

ROTATING VALVE F'QR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Fil e d Dec. 4, 1957 v zsheets-she t 2 WEQLEK 6". 639.35) c/e.

U ni te d States Patent ROTATING VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESThis invention relates to internal combustion engines and moreparticularly relates to a valve mechanism for controlling the intake andexhaust of fuel to and from the combustion chambers of such engines.

It is an object of this invention to provide a valve of the type abovedescribed, which can be manufactured out of flat stock and which will becheaper and easier to produce than conventional valves.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a means to lessenthe chances of spark plug fouling due to dampness or carbonization.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a rotatablevalve for internal combustion engines in which the spark plug within thecombustion chamber is protected from the combustible gases within thecombustion chamber during both the intake and exhaust strokes of theengine cycle.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds, and with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a valve mechanism constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is 'a sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 1;-

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the inlet valves in anopen position; a

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the driving mechanism for a valveconstructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the valve driving mechanism illustrated in Fig.4.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a portion of aninternal combustion engine is shown as comprising a cylinder blockhaving a head gasket 11 seating on the upper surface thereof, and havinga cylinder head 12 seated on the head gasket 11 and secured thereto asby head bolts 13. Mounted on the cylinder head 12 by bolts 14 there isshown an inlet duct 15 which openly communicates with a port 16 in thecylinder head 12. Similarly, an exhaust duct 17 communicates withexhaust port 18, and is mounted on the cylinder head 12 as by bolts 19.A gasket 20 is provided between the cylinder head 12 and the inlet andexhaust ducts 15 and 17, respectively, to form a tight sealingengagement therebetween.

A piston 21 having the usual oil and/or compression rings 22 and 23 isshown, in conjunction with the cylinder head 12, as forming a combustionchamber 24. A spark plug 25 is also shown as being threadedly mounted inthe cylinder head 12 and as having its gapped end portion 56 recessedslightly for reasons which will hereinafter become obvious.

Rotatable valves 31, 32, 33 and 34 are shown as being rigidly mounted onand supported by valve shafts 35', and as being secured to the shafts asby pins 36. It should here be noted that a rib 37 has been provided inthe ports 16 and 18 to assure a complete sealing engagement of thevalves when the valves are in the closed position as shown in Fig. 2. Asseen in Fig. 3, when the inlet valves 31 and 32 are rotated in oppositedirections, the inlet port 16 is communicated with the combustionchamber 24.

The driving mechanism 40 for the rotating inlet and exhaust valves 31,32, 33 and 34 is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. A driving shaft 41 isshown journaled for rotatable movement within a driving shaft bracket32, and as being rigidly connected to a pivot arm 43 and rocker arm 44.As is well known in the art, one end of the rocker arm 44 abuts a springmember 45 which tends to bias the rocker arm 44, and the shaft 41 towhich it is connected, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. Theother end of the rocker arm 44 abuts a push rod 46. The lower end of thepush rod 46 is in engagement with a cam member 47 which is rigidlyconnected to a rotatable cam shaft 48. Vertical reciprocal movement ofthe push rod 46 causes a rocking motion of the rocker arm 44 and therocker arm shaft 41, as is well known in the art.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 5, it may be seen that aconnecting link 49 engages at one end a pivot pin 50 journaled in thepivot arm 43 and engages, at the other end portion, a pivot pin 51journaled in the gear 52. The gear'52 is arranged to drive the gear 53by means of gear teeth 54 and 55 on the gears 53 and 52 respectively.

Since the gears 52 and 53 are rigidly connected to the valve drivingshafts 35 which are connected to the inlet valves 31 and 32, oscillatorymovement of the gear 52 and the gear 53 will cause oscillatory movementof the inlet valves 31 and 32. It may now be seen that when the highpoint of the cam 47 engages the lower end of the push rod 46, the rockerarm 44, rocker arm shaft 41 and pivot arm 43 will be rotated in acounterclockwise direction, thus causing the driving link 49 to movetoward the left as viewed in Fig. 5. Since the gear 52 is pivoted aboutdriving shaft 35, leftward movement of the driving link 49 will causeclockwise movement of the valve 52 and counterclockwise movement of thevalve 53. Such clockwise movement of the gear 52 and counterclockwisemovement of the gear 53 will cause the inlet valves 31 and 32 to move totheir closed position, as shown in Fig. 2. Similarly, when the push rod46 comes in contact with the low part of the cam 47, the rocker armshaft 44 will be moved in a clockwise direction by the spring member 45and the inlet valves 31 and 32 will be rotated into their open positionas shown in Fig. 3. It should here be noted that the driving mechanismdescribed above has been used for illustrative purposes only and formsno part of the present invention.

It may now be seen that when the inlet valves 31 and 32 are in theiropen position, as shown in Fig. 3, combustible gases will be admittedfrom the port 16 into the combustion chamber 24, and the gapped endportion 56 of the spark plug 25 will not be in communication with thecombustion chamber 24, due to the position of the inlet valve 31. Thiswill, of course, protect the gapped end portion 56 of the spark plug 25from dampness, which might be encountered if the spark plug were exposedto the intrusion of combustible vapors. As soon as the inlet stroke iscompleted, of course, the inlet valves 31 and 32 will swing into theclosed position shown in Fig. 2, and the gapped end portion 56 of thespark plug 25 will be momentarily exposed to the combustion chamber 24,in order to ignite the gases therein. Similarly, when the exhaust strokebegins, the exhaust valves 33 and 34 will oscillate to their completelyopen position, and the gapped end portion 56 of the spark plug 25 willagain be protected from the gases within the com- Patented Feb. 24, -9

3 bustion chamber. This will, of course, lengthen the life of the sparkplug 25, since it will lessen the amount of carbonization on the gappedend portion 56.

It is readily apparent that applicants valves are so designed andconstructed that the extremely high pressures within the combustionchamber encountered during the power and compression strokes tend totightly seal the valves in their closed position.

Furthermore, it will be apparent that since there is no valve stemwithin the inlet or exhaust ports the volumetric efficiency or breathingcapacity of the engine is greatly increased for any given port size.

It will be understood that this particular embodiment of the inventionhas been used for illustrative purposes only, and that variousmodifications and variations of the present invention may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel conceptsthereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an internal combustion engine, including a cylinder block, acylinder head mounted on said cylinder block, a combustion chamberformed in said cylinder block and said cylinder head having an inlet andan outlet, a spark plug mounted in said cylinder head having its gappedend portion in communication with the interior of said combustionchamber, a plurality of cooperating horizontally movable valve membersfor controlling gaseous flow through said inlet and said outlet, meansoperatively connected with the operating parts of the engine forsimultaneously oscillating said valve members in opposite directions andthen reversing said simultaneous oscillatory movement to controlcommunication through either said inlet or said outlet with saidcombustion chamber, and then repeating said simultaneous oscillatorymovement in inverse order to control communication through the other ofsaid ports, wherein at least one of said valve members covers andprotects the gapped end portion of said spark plug during both the inletand exhaust strokes.

2. In an internal combustion engine including a cornbustion chamber, aninlet port and an exhaust port opening into said combustion chamber, anigniting device periodically communicable with the interior of saidcombination chamber, a plurality of cooperating horizontally movablevalve members for controlling gaseous flow through said inlet port andsaid outlet port, means operatively connected with the operating partsof the engine for simultaneously oscillating said valve members tocontrol gaseous flow through said inlet and outlet ports wherein one ofsaid valve members is arranged to cover and protect said igniting devicefrom the atmosphere within said combustion chamber wherein one of saidports is in communication with said combustion chamber.

. said valve members is only slightl 3. In an internal combustion engineincluding a cylinder block and a cylinder head mounted on said block, acombustion chamber formed within said cylinder block and head havinginlet and exhaust ports opening thereinto through one wall thereof, aspark plug mounted within said one wall of said combustion chamberhaving its gapped end communicable with the interior of said combustionchamber, the improvement of means for controlling gaseous fiow throughsaid ports and for selectively covering the gapped end of said sparkplug comprising a plurality of rotatable shafts journaled within saidone wall of said combustion chamber, a plurality of valve membersconnected to said shafts for corotatable movement therewith slidablyengageable with said one wall of said chamber and cooperable with saidports to control fluid flow therethrough, and means for oscillating saidshafts in timed relation with respect to one another to alternately openand close said ports, the several parts herein recited being so arrangedthat the gapped end of said spark plug is covered by one of said valvemembers whenever one of said ports is uncovered and being so constructedthat the total chamber wall engaging area of greater than the total areaof said ports.

4. In an internal combustion engine including a cylinder block and acylinder head mounted on said block, a combustion chamber formed withinsaid cylinder block having a port wall defining one end thereof, inletand exhaust ports opening to said chamber through said port wall, aspark plug mounted within said port wall having its gapped endcommunicable with the interior of said combustion chamber, theimprovement of means for controlling gaseous flow through said ports andfor selectively covering the gapped end of said spark plug comprising aplurality of movable valve members slidably engageable with said portwall and cooperable with said ports to control fluid flow therethrough,and means for oscillating said valve members in timed relation withrespect to one another to alternately open and close said ports, theseveral parts herein recited being so arranged that the gapped end ofsaid spark plug is covered by one of said valve members whenever one ofsaid ports is uncovered and being so constructed that the total portwall engaging area of said valve members is only slightly greater thanthe total area of said ports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,238,560 Ofeldt Aug. 28, 1917 1,274,300 McInturff July 30, 19181,877,760 Berner et al. Sept. 20, 1932

